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Thus Let Us Drink Beer - Holgate Brewhouse

Sometimes it takes a bit longer to come across what eventually proves to be a stalwart of the Australian craft beer brewing scene and one wonders how one could have possibly been so ignorant. Case in point: Holgate Brewhouse.

Having honed their craft and channelled their alchemy in the brewing in excellent beers, Holgate, being a family business, has remained fiercely independent and had their focus firmly set on honouring traditional brewing methods while infusing them with their idiosyncratic innovative approach.

An example par excellence for Holgate Brewhouse’s excellence is their recently released Hazy India Pale Ale. The IPA hits the sweet spot between boldness and well-balanced fruitiness and is technically a revisit of their GABS beer from 2017, which in its original incarnation was a New England India Pale Ale.

I enjoyed my first Holgate Hazy IPA as part of a boilermaker that found its equivalent in my favourite Ardbeg, i.e. Corryvvreckan.

The triumvirate of American hops, i.e. Azacca, Mosaic and Amarillo creates a fruity melange that rests on a foundation of wheat and oats. The fruity character travels along the coordinates of mango nectar, oranges and peaches, which is pierced by an exquisite bitterness.

Clocking in at an ABV of 6.8%, this brew is dangerously more-ish and it makes perfect sense that it comes in 500ml cans.

Holgate’s Road Trip is an American IPA that again offers a bouquet of well calibrated fruity, caramelly and floral notes with piney resinous hops taking over towards the finish, culminating in a bitter finish.

A sessionable, refreshing, flavoursome and well-rounded little number that despite its bold passion fruitiness, it is very much true to its west coast American IPA style, i.e. it has those delicious dank aromas that remind one instantaneously of hop pellets.

Needless to say that my first exposure to Holgate Brewhouse made me more than curious about their seasonal and limited varieties, which we will hopefully be able to shed light on in an upcoming instalment.

Sleaford Mods

Metro Theatre

Sydney, Australia

March 4, 2020

Sleaford Mods have come a long way. What should have never worked out on paper, turned out to become a phenomenon with an avid army of loyal followers.

Blame it on the arcane pop cultural references, the witty lyrics, the fact that their drink sodden tales of anger and despair, the idiosyncratic stripped back and minimal set up – Sleaford Mods in the wild are an utterly compelling tour de force despite their limited musical template, which is comprised of two lads and a laptop emanating an arsenal of beats. Jason Williamson is one charismatic specimen of a frontman – an intriguing character that moves like an electrocuted frenzy version of Ian Curtis, creating an infectious melange of anger, menace and fun with his partner in crime, that rests on a powerful foundation, i.e. a refreshing lack of pretence and a  seemingly unshakeable authenticity and truthfulness, which pervades every façade of their act. Truthfulness in terms of acerbic social commentary on the current state of affairs, which at times could be interpreted as a wildly unedited internal monologue. He is complemented by Andrew Fearn, who plays an integral yet more subdued role, resulting in a dynamic that is reminiscent of a grimy equivalent to the Pet Shop Boys.

Not sure if it is specific to Sydney, but there was a tangible sense of community throughout a set, which resulted in a sense of inclusion rather than Sleaford Mods’ incarnation merely being a mere reverential spectacle.

I would go as far as claiming that Sleaford Mods are inimitable and unique, not just in terms of the tick heavy strutting of the stage, but also the wide array of contradictions the unresolved result of which makes them confusing and endearing in equal measure.

Go watch them.

February: Yeehaw!

Welcome to another month of Search/Play/Repeat! If you're unfamiliar, feel free to review January's blog post to get an idea of what this blog's about or why I'm doing it. Otherwise, let's jump into what I listened to throughout the month of February.

Despite kicking the month off with The Afghan Whigs, February quickly began to lean more heavily on the different facets of Country music, from Bruce Springsteen's Americana to Pinegrove's uncommon blend of Emo and Alt-Country. These past few weeks my wife and I have been getting into Orville Peck's 2019 debut, Pony.  He's Country's mysterious cowboy, hell-bent on reviving the classic country sound for new audiences, and it's really good. He's 1-part Elvis Presley and 2-parts Roy Orbison. I had trouble whittling down my Orville Peck song choice, but in the end, I went with "Roses are Falling," which is reminiscent of Santo & Johnny's "Sleepwalk" up until Peck begins to croon. This album caused me to fall down Country's rabbit-hole for a few days. Since I was getting Roy Orbison-vibes, it seemed like a decent place to start. "You Got It" has actually always been one of my favorite songs, but I never thought to check out the rest of the album it comes from, Mystery Girl. It didn't put me in a rush to listen to more Orbison, but the album does have its high moments.

I wasn't quite sure where I should go next. I knew I wanted to listen to something rooted in Country in some shape or form. Murder by Death had a show coming up, and I was reminded of the few times I saw O'Death open for them. O'Death are a unique blend of Goth, Country, and Bluegrass. The only album I have is the great Broken Hymns, Limbs, and Skin... which is 12 years old. It was time to get a refresher. I dove into the last album they put out in 2014, Out of Hands We Go. It's much more toned down than the punk-fueled Broken Hymns, but a solid album that fit the mood I was in. Needing that little bit of punk energy though inspired me to revisit Country-Punk outfit, Lucero. I skipped out on the last few Lucero albums, so I decided to work my way back with their most recent release, Among the Ghosts. I was pleased to find they're still doing what they do best.

It wasn't all Country all month. Envy, Spanish Love Songs, and Green Day all had new albums come out. Envy didn't really fit in with the rest of the playlist, but their new album is great! I encourage everyone to give it a listen. You can check out Mick's review HERE. I took the time to listen to King Krule and Grimes' new albums, which managed to have songs that fit this month's playlist somehow. I've seen a lot of buzz over King Krule for years, but never gave him a chance. He didn't really click for me, but maybe Man Alive wasn't the best starting point? Before the month came to a close, I was also able to sneak in Soccer Mommy's new album. I need to give it some more attention, but "Stain" immediately stood out on the first listen. It's such a simple song unlike anything else on the record.

Thus wraps up February's playlist. I don't know what I'm going to listen to in March. St. Patrick's Day is coming up, so I may end up listening to a bunch of Flogging Molly for all I know. We shall see! Thanks for reading and checking out the playlist below:

Ben Quilty

Penguin Random House

Winner of the Archibald Prize, activist artist Ben Quilt has had quite a few of solo exhibitions, which I have been lucky enough to witness in different Australian state museums. No matter if it is his latter compelling art informing by his stint with Australian troops or in refugee camps or his formative artworks that channel the depiction of seemingly mundane everyday items through his own lens, you would agree that his oeuvre is idiosyncratic and recognizable once you have been exposed to it: Quilty is a master of distortion and highlighting intense emotions and dreads that rage inside one’s chest. His art is visual commentary on the, musing on current social and political events as well as the criticism of notions of patriotism, identify and toxic masculinity, which at times and more visceral moments carry trademarks and more than subtle nods to Francis Bacon’s work.

This beautiful tome is an ode to an Australian artist and social commentator that celebrates twenty years of his artistic emissions in an opulently illustrated manner, including e coverage of a wide variety of media, e.g. drawing, photography, sculpture, installation and references to his excursions into the world of moving images.

Embedded in illuminating essays and an insightful foreword, I would recommend this comprehensive book specifically to those interested in art yet unfamiliar with the work and world of Quilty.

Thus Let Us Drink Beer – Ballistic Beer

What a time to be alive – especially if you are a hop aficionado and based on terra australis. The array of quality craft beer breweries popping up and channelling their alchemy in delicious brews seems to be never ending. Every time when I think that I have covered the premium sector of my favourite hoppy brew, i.e. India Pale Ale, another brewery appears on my radar that excites my palate.

Case in point – Ballistic Beer Co.

Based in Queensland, Ballistic Beer’s core range, i.e. lager, pale ale, IPA and European-style as well as a low-alcohol variation has been known to me as an institution whose emissions were yet to disappoint in terms of exquisite flavours – specifically when it comes to their limited hop forward expressions and with the “Sleep When You’re Dead” series having produced highlights that make me smack my lips merely thinking of them.

Needless to say that I was anticipating the new “Modern IPA” release of the Sleep When You’re Dead, which is now available for a mere eight weeks.ost of

I have had many IPAs, which were usually a constituent of a boilermaker along with a peaty Islay whisky. More often than not, the respective brews excel in one category, e.g. they are either tropical in flavour or overly hoppy.

Then there is this beauty: An example par excellence for how dankness can be calibrated with juicy highlights that rest on a solid foundation of the best of what North America has to offer in terms of hops - think a quadriga of Mosaic, Citra, Vic Secret and Chinook.

While the name might suggest that it is a novelty brew and the ABV of 7.2% might have you think that it is dominated by alcohol, the flavour profile is so nuanced that is drinks like a session ale.

I have always been a fan of Ballistic Passionfruit Brut IPA with its sweet stone fruity aromas that counterbalance the tartness of the passionfruit, which results in a body reminiscent of a citrussy, yet slightly bitter dry white wine, but the latest addition to the Sleep When You’re Dead series with this only temporarily available Modern IPA has taken things to the next level.

You got eight weeks to sample it, after which you should not despair as Ballistic Beer’s core range is sure to excite the taste buds of anyone remotely into the finer side of what beer can offer.

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image from company website